61-619: Monkwearmouth is a former railway station that served Monkwearmouth in the English city of Sunderland , from 1848 to 1967. It was built in 1848 to a design by Thomas Moore. and was once the main railway station in the city. The railway station closed in March 1967 and featured a restored booking office dating from the Edwardian period . The station was opened as a museum in 1973. The Tyne and Wear Metro and mainline trains still pass through
122-486: A Euro 2004 qualifying match , which England won 2–0. The Stadium of Light also held an England under 20 match against Italy on 27 November 2002, Italy beat England 5–3. On 10 June 2003 it hosted an England's under-21s 2004 U21 European Championship qualifier match against Slovakia's under-21s . The hosts beat the visitors 2–0 through Peter Doležaj 's fortieth minute own goal and Phil Jagielka 's eighty third-minute goal with 11,223 in attendance. On 4 March 2016 it
183-591: A 34,000-seater stadium on the Monkwearmouth site. Ballast Wiltshier plc, a contracting company that had built the Amsterdam Arena , was contracted to build the stadium at an initial cost of £15 million. In June 1996, as the planned capacity rose to more than 40,000, construction work began. The capacity was revised again in early 1997, and the stadium was completed on time, with a capacity of 42,000. The stadium's design allows possible expansion of
244-417: A Davy lamp as part of their working lives. Reflecting this tradition, the name allows the image of this light to shine forever." To emphasise the fact, a statue of a miner's Davy lamp was located in front of the stadium's ticket office, adjacent to the stadium. The stadium name had been associated with the area since 1970 when it appeared in a Monty Python's Flying Circus episode Literary Football , which
305-606: A Premier League game between Sunderland and Liverpool. The Stadium attendance record for non-football is 60,000 on 3 June 2022 for an Ed Sheeran concert. The lowest league attendance at the stadium was 22,167 against Wigan Athletic on 2 December 2003. The lowest recorded attendance for a first-team competitive game at the Stadium of Light was 3,498 vs Oldham Athletic in the EFL Trophy Second Round on 1 December 2021. A dead rubber game vs. Bradford City in
366-653: A Sunderland emblem and the words "SUNDERLAND A.F.C" in white lettering on the East Stand, and the slogan "HA'WAY THE LADS" ("Ha'way" is a Mackem dialect equivalent of the Geordie word "Howay", meaning "Come on" ) in white lettering on the North Stand. A thin band of white seats also circled the top of the East and South stand. Over time, sections of red seats become bleached by the sun, turning them pink - which became
427-620: A Tyne and Wear building or structure is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article relating to a museum in the United Kingdom is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article on a railway station in North East England is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Monkwearmouth Monkwearmouth is an area of Sunderland , Tyne and Wear in England. Monkwearmouth
488-405: A fan struggling with the move and what Roker Park meant for him - the play originally ran in 1997, and had a few revivals since. The North Stand was extended in 2000 to bring the capacity to 49,000, costing the club a further £7 million, making the final cost of the stadium £23 million. On 18 July 2006, a statue of 1973 FA Cup Final winning manager Bob Stokoe was unveiled outside
549-669: A few hundred metres south of the old station. Wearmouth Colliery , a coal mine , was closed in December 1993 after it had been in operation for over 100 years. The site is now the home of the Stadium of Light , which opened in July 1997 and is the home of the football club Sunderland A.F.C. , who had previously played at Roker Park . Monkwearmouth was part of the Sunderland North parliamentary constituency for elections to
610-518: A finalist in 'Best Club Marketing Initiative' category at the 2018 Business Football Awards for the seat change activity. A 6,000 capacity Fan Zone, modelled on similar schemes at Manchester City and those at NFL games in the United States , was approved by Sunderland City Council in July 2015. It followed a successful trial prior to a game against West Ham United in January 2013. It
671-408: A further tier; completed expansion of the whole upper tier would produce a capacity of 63,000, although it is believed by some that the stadium can expand to a maximum capacity of 84,000, this would seem unlikely ever to be exercised. The stadium was opened on 30 July 1997 by Prince Andrew, Duke of York , with bands such as Status Quo , Upside Down and Kavana playing. To celebrate the opening of
SECTION 10
#1732782757771732-537: A new 141-room Hilton Garden Inn which opened on 28 April 2016. The Beacon of Light , a sports, education and community centre, opened in the summer of 2018 alongside the Aquatic Centre. In 2009, during a review of the Stadium Village plans, city councilors expressed ambitions to build an Indoor skiing facility on the site and an expression of interest was issued to potential developers. In
793-713: A sacred thing like some of the other grounds." The stadium is in the shape of a square bowl, and is separated into the West Stand, North Stand, East Stand and the Roker End (South Stand). The stands have all formerly had commercial names as part of sponsorship deals, e.g. the Vaux Stand (West), the Carling Stand (North), Fosters Stand (East) and the Metro FM Stand (South). The South Stand was renamed to
854-478: A sense of identity to renamed stand. The perimeter walls of the stadium incorporate a "Wall of Fame" feature, where names can be engraved into the bricks of the walls. The interior of the stadium holds a banqueting suite, which can seat from 460 to 600 people. The stadium also contains several conferencing suites, that can be hired for events. Quinn's Bar, housed in the West Stand, was named after former player and chairman Niall Quinn and includes memorabilia from
915-720: A similar space being developed as part of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London. As well as holding Sunderland games, the stadium has also hosted England matches. The stadium was one of several venues used as temporary home grounds for the England team while the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium took place. It hosted its first England game in 1999, when they played Belgium in a friendly match, which England won 2–1. It played host to its first competitive England match on 2 April 2003, when they played Turkey in
976-515: A source of mockery from opposing fans. Sunderland fans petitioned the club to replace the seats, even noting on the inclusion of the faded pink seats in the digital replica of the Stadium of Light in the FIFA video game . In 2016, the club announced that a programme of seat changes would take place as part of a face-lift for the stadium's 20th anniversary. Sections of the East Stand were replaced, but further work stalled. When Stewart Donald purchased
1037-666: Is a large car park behind the West Stand and two car parks behind the East Stand, but match-day parking is permit only. Fragments of the iconic Archibald Leitch latticework, taken from the Main Stand at Roker Park, is used to separate parts of the Western Car Park. Wooden boards mimicking the Leitch lattice work were also added to the Roker End in 2019 as part of an initiative by the Red & White Army supporters group to bring
1098-521: Is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland , England, and the eighth and current home to Sunderland A.F.C. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light is the ninth largest football stadium in England. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. home matches. The stadium was named by chairman Bob Murray to reflect the coal mining heritage of the North East and
1159-523: Is located at the north side of the mouth of the River Wear . It was one of the three original settlements on the banks of the River Wear along with Bishopwearmouth and Sunderland. It includes the area around St. Peter's Church , founded in 674 as part of Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey , and was once the main centre of Wearside shipbuilding and coalmining in the town. It is now host to a campus of
1220-479: The 1998–99 season when the aggregate was 890,660 in a season where Sunderland were First Division champions, and League Cup semi-finalists. The lowest seasonal aggregate at the Stadium of Light was 572,241 in the 2019–20 season , as Sunderland played only 19 of a planned 23 games due to the season's curtailment because of the COVID-19 pandemic . The following season saw all games played behind closed doors due to
1281-478: The House of Commons of the United Kingdom . Monkwearmouth is now part of Sunderland Central . In 1891 the civil parish had a population of 9116. On 25 March 1897 the parish was abolished and merged with Sunderland. In 1974 it became part of the metropolitan district of Sunderland . Anticlockwise Roker Monkwearmouth, Sunderland Clockwise Hendon Stadium of Light The Stadium of Light
SECTION 20
#17327827577711342-701: The University of Sunderland and the National Glass Centre . It is served by the three Church of England churches of the Parish of Monkwearmouth . The first nineteenth-century Catholic church built in Monkwearmouth was St Benet's Church which remains active today. Monkwearmouth is across the river from the Port of Sunderland at Sunderland Docks . The locals of the area were called "Barbary Coasters". The borough stretches from Wearmouth Bridge to
1403-552: The harbour mouth on the north side of the river and is one of the oldest parts of Sunderland. The former railway station, closed in 1968 by the Beeching Axe , is now the Monkwearmouth Station Museum and features a restored booking office dating from the Edwardian period. Since 2002, Monkwearmouth has once again been served by rail transport, this time via St Peter's Tyne and Wear Metro station
1464-492: The "Wearside Stadium" and "New Roker Park". The name was eventually revealed as the Stadium of Light at a naming ceremony on 30 July 1997, hours before the opening game against Ajax (0-0). Speaking at the naming event, Bob Murray explained the inspiration for the name came from the Coal mining heritage of the region and the stadium's Monkwearmouth Colliery site: "For many years, miners at Wearmouth Colliery carried with them
1525-504: The 'Black Cats Bar', and a club shop selling Sunderland merchandise. Following the release of the Taylor Report in January 1990, Sunderland was obliged to make plans to turn their Roker Park home into an all-seater stadium. Roker Park was a ground that mainly consisted of standing terraces, and if converted into all-seater it would have held far fewer spectators than before. Enclosed by residential streets on all sides, expansion
1586-489: The Fan Zone being cancelled. In a Q&A with supporters association 'Red & White Army', new club owner Stewart Donald committed to bring back the Fan Zone. It returned for the opening game of the 2018–19 season against Charlton Athletic , although smaller than the 2015 version, it was open to anyone - not just ticket-holding spectators. The Fan Zone no longer re-opens after a game. A 30 hectare site area around
1647-470: The Roker End in December 2018, following a poll organised by the Red & White Army supporters club. The Roker End was the name of the stand behind the goal at the southern end Sunderland's former ground, Roker Park. The West Stand includes the Premier Concourse which is the name of the upper tier and a number of executive boxes. The North Stand also includes an upper tier, formerly branded
1708-647: The South Stand when the ground opened in 1997, but in November 2011, the club announced that the away supporters' section would be moved from the South Stand to the North Stand Upper from the beginning of the 2012–13 season . The pitch is several metres below the level of the ground outside the stadium. The pitch uses a lighting system from Stadium Grow Lighting to ensure the grass can grow at any time of year. The device controls various aspects of
1769-579: The South and East of the stadium and proposals included facilities such as a Velodrome , an Ice rink , a Conference centre and a Climbing wall . A key part of the new masterplan is Stadium Way , a proposed tree-lined boulevard linking the St Peter's Metro station with a proposed Plaza at the South East corner of the stadium. The plaza would incorporate an enhanced Fan Zone, and is modelled on
1830-505: The Stadium, including the Sheepfolds Industrial estate , was designated as the 'Stadium Village' development zone by Sunderland City Council in 2007 - and a draft Supplementary planning document was released in 2009. The plan, adopted in 2010, described a framework for redeveloping the Stadium Village area into a mixture of commercial, residential and entertainment facilities with a focus on health and well-being. The plan
1891-621: The Strongbow Upper, which contained the exterior seating for the Black Cats Bar, an enhanced match-day experience with padded seating and an exclusive catering facilities and bar. When the away fans were relocated in 2012, the Black Cats Bar seating was relocated to the rear of the North Stand lower tier. Within the stadium is a concourse, housing the turnstiles , emergency exits, food kiosks, bars and toilet facilities. The concourse allows uninterrupted spectator access throughout
Monkwearmouth railway station - Misplaced Pages Continue
1952-557: The area – Luz. It’s like, say, Elland Road or Old Trafford. We are the only club whose stadium has that name, and it was because of the history of the region that I named it" . In the same interview, Murray revealed that shortly after the stadium opened he was approached by a representative of the Labour government asking if he would consider renaming the stadium after Diana, Princess of Wales , who died in September 1997. Murray refused
2013-605: The centre of the city. In 1993, Sunderland's planned new stadium was on the shortlist for Euro 96 venues, as England had been named as hosts of the competition in May 1992. However, it soon become clear that a new stadium in Sunderland would not be ready in time for the tournament. On 13 November 1995, the Sunderland chairman Bob Murray announced that the Tyne and Wear Development Corporation had approved plans for Sunderland to build
2074-567: The club and the Beacon of Light is a sports and education centre, owned by the Foundation, which is adjacent to the stadium. The club's official magazine was called Legion of Light before it was discontinued in January 2017. In March 2010, Sunderland Chairman Niall Quinn announced the club were considering plans to sell naming rights to the stadium as a new way to boost income. The plans were shelved shortly after. The possibility of selling
2135-415: The club in the summer of 2018, frustration over the pink seats (and the general state of the stadium) came up frequently in his early engagements with fans. In June, Donald announced that he had purchased 31,500 seats and requested Sunderland fans to volunteer to help change them. The seat change took place in phases, with hundreds of volunteering fans joined occasionally by club officials and players. Phase I
2196-468: The club's history. Originally it was available for non-match-day visitors, but has since become exclusive for match-day hospitality and event packages. In 2004,The Centre for Light was opened by the SAFC Foundation within the Stadium. The £1.6m learning facility, built over multiple floors, included five learning areas supporting up to 120 visiting children per day. In 2015, Sunderland became
2257-576: The final of the Durham Challenge Cup three times; in 2008, 2019. and 2023. It was due to host the 2020 final, but this was cancelled due to COVID-19. The Stadium of Light has also played host to finals for youth football, including the U14 Premier League Cup Final in 2014. In August 2023, the stadium was confirmed as one of eight host venues for the women's 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup . In December 2023, it
2318-601: The first football club in the world to open a sensory room within the Stadium - thereby allowing people on the Autism spectrum to watch matches in a sound-proofed environment. It was named the Nathan Shippey Sensory Room after Nathan's parents petitioned the club to set the room up. The sensory room provided a huge success, with the model being adopted at other clubs around the world. Sunderland opened their second sensory room in 2018. In March 2018 it
2379-435: The former Monkwearmouth Colliery site on which it stands. A Davy lamp monument stands at the entrance to reflect the coal mining industry that brought prosperity to the town. As well as hosting Sunderland games, the stadium has hosted three matches for the England national football team , as well as an England under-20 , an England under-21 and two England women's team matches. With an original capacity of 42,000, it
2440-528: The inner stadium bowl, with the exception being a gap between the South Stand and the South West corner. The concourse is linked to the seating bowl via a series of access ramps. The South East corner of the stadium is designated as the Family Zone, and has family-oriented branding within the concourse, as well as entertainment such as PlayStation 4 consoles. Away fans were seated in the west half of
2501-584: The name of Benfica's home, Estádio da Luz , often anglicised to The Stadium of Light , has led to some visiting fans and reporters to erroneously assume that Sunderland's home was named after the Portuguese stadium. Murray responded directly to this in a 2017 interview with the Evening Chronicle , in which he said "The Estadio de Luz in Portugal isn’t the Stadium of Light, it is named after
Monkwearmouth railway station - Misplaced Pages Continue
2562-464: The naming rights was floated again by chief executive Margaret Byrne in 2013. Discussing the options of selling the stadium name in October 2018, chairman Stewart Donald said: "I think the fans should have a say on whether they are comfortable with it. My gut feel is that even if we didn't consult with them, the vibe I get is that they aren't particularly attached to the name of the stadium. It's not
2623-564: The pitch, including exposure to light, temperature, water, and air, to make the grass able to grow in any conditions. To the North East of the stadium stands the Black Cat House, a separate building which was the location of the Box office and club administrative offices, but became the SAFC club merchandise store in 2024, with the ticket office transferring to a unit in the West Stand. There
2684-552: The plans were announced in 1992, Nissan launched an official objection, ultimately forcing Sunderland to abandon the idea. By 1995, the site of the Wearmouth Colliery , which had closed in December 1993, was identified as the club's preferred location for a new stadium. The area, on the north bank of the River Wear in the Sheepfolds district of Sunderland, was only a few hundred yards from Roker Park, and close to
2745-513: The request as he believed the stadium should be named in honour of those in the region who had worked in darkness. The 'Of Light' suffix became a recognisable part of the Sunderland A.F.C. brand, and was used in a number of other areas related to the club; the Academy of Light is the club's training facility and youth academy, the Foundation of Light is a registered charity affiliated with
2806-532: The same tournament on 9 November 2021 did not have an officially recorded attendance. The highest seasonal average at the stadium since it was opened was 46,790 in the 2000–01 season while Sunderland were playing in the Premier League. The lowest average attendance at the Stadium of Light was 27,119 in the 2003–04 season in Division One. The highest total seasonal attendance was recorded during
2867-535: The spring of 2011, the Sunderland Arc redevelopment agency was shut down, after its funding was pulled due to austerity cuts. This put the long-term future of the Stadium Village plan in doubt. However the council partnered with IDPartnership Group to push ahead with the plan, and in September 2017, a 'masterplan' for Phase II of the Stadium Village area was approved by Sunderland council and released for public consultation . The Phase II area covers an area to
2928-505: The stadium, Sunderland played a friendly against the Dutch side Ajax , which was drawn 0–0. The move did not happen without criticism. Famous actor and Sunderland supporter, often named in the media "Sunderland's most famous supporter", Peter O'Toole , said he wasn't as much a fan as he used to be since the team left Roker Park . Playwright Tom Kelly and actor Paul Dunn created a one-man play called "I Left My Heart at Roker Park" about
2989-543: The stadium. At the end of season Football League awards, the Stadium of Light was named the Best Away Ground , with other contenders including Crewe Alexandra 's Alexandra Stadium and Plymouth Argyle 's Home Park . Sunderland celebrated the tenth anniversary of the stadium with a pre-season friendly against Juventus on 6 August 2007; the game was drawn 1–1. During construction, the stadium had not adopted an official name, and had been known colloquially as
3050-606: The station without stopping, but the Metro calls at St. Peter's station a few hundred yards south of the old station, due to the platforms at Monkwearmouth being too narrow to serve as a Metro station. The former station is a Grade II* listed building. As well as the ticket office, visitors could explore the Wagon Shed, Journeys Gallery and Children's Gallery. The museum was temporarily closed from August 2005 until 2007 to allow repairs and refurbishment to take place. The museum
3111-409: The temporary structures in use, the Fan Zone was closed for safety reasons during periods of high winds. An enhanced version of the Fan Zone was opened for the England senior international game vs Australia in 2016. The Fan Zone re-opened for the 2016–17 season opener against Middlesbrough , but as the season progressed, poor performance on the field and financial troubles off the field led to
SECTION 50
#17327827577713172-511: Was announced that after the relegation to EFL League One , the Premier Concourse would be closed during the 2018–19 season , although it was temporarily reopened to accommodate a large crowd for the Boxing Day game against Bradford City and again on the final home league game against Portsmouth . After promotion back to EFL Championship , the Premier Concourse permanently reopened. The stadium originally had mainly red seats, except for
3233-553: Was announced that the Stadium of Light would host England for a friendly against Australia on 27 May 2016 as part of their preparations for Euro 2016 . The sold-out match finished in a 2–1 victory for England, with goals from Marcus Rashford (on his international debut), Wayne Rooney and an own goal from Eric Dier . On 30 September 2021, it was announced that the Stadium would host its first women's football international; an England 2023 World Cup qualifier against Austria on 27 November 2021. The Stadium of Light has hosted
3294-604: Was closed on 23 May 2017 because the roof, footbridge and platforms were claimed to be in a very poor condition, despite a major two-year refurbishment programme in 2005–07. The station has since reopened as the Fans Museum, which houses a collection of football memorabilia from Sunderland and around the world. The museum was closed in March 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic but reopened in August 2021. This article about
3355-483: Was confirmed that the stadium would host the tournament's opening game. The Stadium of Light currently hosts the annual graduation ceremony for the students of the University of Sunderland . The stadium won the RSVP magazine's Most creative use of a sporting venue award in 2007 for its usage as the university's graduation site. The highest football attendance at the Stadium of Light is 48,353 set on 13 April 2002 for
3416-697: Was consistent with wider redevelopment plans across Sunderland, then under the umbrella of Sunderland Arc agency. In preparation for the redevelopment plans, the council began buying up plots in the area in 2008. Initial redevelopment work focused on the Northern end of the site, adjacent to the stadium's North Stand and the Black Cat House ticket office. The buildings in this area have Stadium Park as their address. The Sunderland Aquatic Centre , including an Olympic-sized swimming pool and fitness centre, opened in April 2008. In December 2014 construction work began on
3477-537: Was expanded in 2000 to seat 49,000. Its simple design is apparently to allow for redevelopments up to a capacity of 64,000. The attendance record at the Stadium of Light is 48,353 set on 13 April 2002, when Sunderland played Liverpool with the visitors running out 1–0 winners. Along with hosting football matches, the stadium has played host to performers such as Beyoncé , Rihanna , Oasis , Take That , Kings of Leon , P!nk , Coldplay , Spice Girls and Elton John . The ground also holds conference and banqueting suites,
3538-481: Was hosted by a native of South Shields, Eric Idle . The name initially drew mixed reactions from Sunderland fans many unhappy that the name was already associated with the home ground of S.L. Benfica . A film crew for the Premier Passions documentary series recorded the moment that Bob Murray faced Sunderland fans immediately after the naming with many expressing their disappointment. The similarity to
3599-460: Was opened on the first home game of the 2015–16 season . The zone was located in the car park outside the East Stand and South East corner, and included live music, children's activities (including a Five-a-side football pitch), food and drink kiosks and on-stage interviews with club legends. The Fan Zone opened three hours before kick-off and for a few hours after the game, and was accessible to ticket-holding spectators, including away fans. Due to
3660-523: Was practically impossible. So, by 1991, Sunderland chairman Bob Murray had started to scour the local area for possible sites to build a new all-seater stadium. The front-runner that emerged was a proposed stadium located on an area of land adjacent to the Nissan car plant . The 49,000 all-seater ground was labelled "the Wembley of the North" by Sunderland fans and would boast a capacity that not even Manchester United's Old Trafford exceeded until 1996. The plans did not come to fruition. Shortly after
3721-469: Was the South East corner and was completed on 19 July 2018, Phase II was the North East corner and North Stand on was completed on 15 September 2018, and Phase III the South West corner completed in October 2018. The fourth and final phase, replacing 10,000 seats in the South and West stands, began on 29 October 2018. The corners were replaced with white seats, while the sides and ends were left red. The emblem and lettering remained. The club were nominated as
SECTION 60
#1732782757771#770229